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MOTORISTS are being offered discounts of up to a quarter on new large sports utility vehicles (SUVs) amid an increase in the number available and concern over diesel emissions.

The vehicles have traditionally been some of the hardest to negotiate deals on because they have been so popular that dealers have been able to demand full price.

Analysis by mystery shoppers across 7,500 new cars on sale between June and August found ‘achievable discounts’ of almost £3,000 off list prices for the vehicles, according to car-buying guide What Car?

This is a six per cent increase on the previous three months.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: ‘Large SUVs tend to be diesels and the negative publicity and threat of future diesel taxes could well have played a part in dealers finally starting to offer discounts on large SUVs.

‘The fact that there are so many models for people to choose from now has probably contributed to the number of deals available.’

What Car? found that average discounts available across the new car market as a whole were eight per cent between June and August – worth £2,500 off list prices – despite deals on small cars, family cars and executive cars declining.